Bauer Loves the Space, But Is Just So-So on the Food at The Thomas in Napa

Michael Bauer headed to downtown Napa for his Sunday review to check out The Thomas and the newly restored Fagiani’s Bar. As you may know, the place was the site of a terrible murder in 1974 and remained closed ever since, until a New York restaurant group bought it and fully renovated the place over the past year. Bauer’s impressed with the design and renovation, saying that despite all the new additions, “it looks as if they’d simply dusted off the walls” of the old space, and it feels like “an exciting place to be.” He likes some of the food, including the carrot-ginger soup, the pork chop with quince aioli, and the wood-grilled salmon. But overall, he writes, “Good intentions are evident, but the execution often goes awry.” He’s also pretty critical of the service, which he calls “slipshod.” The verdict: two stars overall, with three for atmosphere. [Chron]